A/N: Hey everyone. Here we are with a new chapter. Thank you for the reviews. Nice to hear you are enjoying the story. Please don't forget advanced chapters are available on my Pat reon.

Thank you as always to calim for the beta and advice.

On we go…

Chapter 4

Now both totally awake and rather confused, Sara made some coffee while Grissom used the bathroom. Strumming fingers upon the countertop, she sighed. Why the hell hadn't she turned her cell off? Seeing the clock on the microwave blink 5am at her made her even more annoyed.

Hearing a yawn, she looked over her shoulder to spot Grissom heading her way fastening the belt on his robe.

"You don't have to cover up on my behalf," she told him, lips pursing as she grabbed the coffee pot and poured two cups.

Folding his arms, Grissom leaned against the fridge and yawned again. "Sadly a phone call interrupted my nakedness," he joked.

Sighing again, Sara looked at him. "I'm sorry."

Now he frowned. "For what?"

"Leaving my damn phone on. Spoiled our evening."

Reaching out, Grissom took her arm and turned her to face him, wrapping his arms around her.

"No you haven't," he said softly, dropping a kiss to her cheek. "We always leave a phone on, it's just who we are."

"Still," she said, running hands up his back. "It's irritating."

This time he kissed her lips and she smiled into him, pressing her hands into his back. When he pulled back, her smile remained.

"That's better," he told her.

Licking her lips, Sara turned and grabbed the two coffees, holding one out to him.

"Thanks," he said taking it.

"Welcome," she replied, having a drink from her own cup. "Tell me what you're thinking."

He shrugged. "I don't know. Without any information it's impossible to know what to think."

"Maybe Hodges bought another storage unit." Snickering when his eyebrows hit the ceiling she tapped him on the nose. "Look. I'm with you whatever you want to do okay? And I know you, we, would do anything for Catherine, but I think I do know what you're thinking."

"And what might that be?"

Taking the coffee from him, she put both cups down and wrapped her arms back around him. "You need to know what's going on before you are about to go high tailing it back to Vegas."

"You really do know me well don't you, Mrs. Grissom?"

A loving smile passed over her lips. "More and more with each day that goes by and I love every little detail." Raising her hand, she ran it through his hair. "So how about we call Catherine back and say we need to know more."

"Okay."

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The couple sat together at the breakfast bar, Sara hitting Catherine's number on her cell before putting it onto speaker.

"Hey," Catherine answered. "That was quick."

"Yeah," Sara agreed. "Gil woke up and once we're awake, we're awake."

"Nothing new there then," Catherine snickered.

"Ha, no." Sara glanced at Grissom who smirked. "So," she continued, "Gil and I have had a quick chat and… well…"

"You need to know more," Catherine finished for her.

Sara frowned. "How did you know that?"

"Because I know you guys and especially Gil. Is he there?"

Grissom cleared his throat. "Hello, Catherine."

"Hello, to you."

Nipping on his lip, Grissom took the lead. "I know we haven't spoken much recently but we're at a bit of a crossroads with things at the moment and have quite a lot going on. What's so urgent?"

"Ah, I've missed 'straight up, straight to the point,' Gil Grissom." There was a pause for a moment. "So, what do you guys have going on that I don't know about?" she asked curiously.

The couple looked at each other and Sara pursed her lips. "How about we find out what you need first?"

"Spoil sport," Catherine laughed. "Okay, you can tell me later. So, you have access to a computer?"

"Er yeah," Sara confirmed. "I can grab the laptop."

"Okay. I'm going to send you some photographs. I'll call you back once I've sent them."

"All right," Sara agreed. "Speak to you in a minute."

That said, the call ended, and Sara leaned in to kiss her husband softly on the lips.

"What was that for?"

"Because you're my husband?" she teased.

Smiling at him as his eyes narrowed, she rubbed his arm before sliding from the stool to grab the laptop from the coffee table in the lounge.

"You do know Catherine is going to keep asking what we're up to until we tell her," Sara said when rejoining him, placing the laptop onto the breakfast bar and powering it up.

"I'm sure she'll be overjoyed with the reenactment of our nightly birthday activities."

Her eyes shot to him. "I dare you," she laughed.

Now he smirked before reaching out to pick up his coffee and take a drink.

Once the laptop was on, Sara opened up her email and the second she did, 'ping', a message from Catherine came through entitled 'crime scene.' Just as Sara was about to click on it, her cell rang and she answered.

"Did you get it?" Catherine asked.

"Yeah," Sara confirmed. "Just came through. Gimmie a sec while we have a look."

Both heard Catherine clearing her throat before saying okay.

Clicking on the Email, Sara noticed a set of photos attached. Tapping on the first one she frowned.

"Go to the next one," Grissom said.

Each photo was of a man in a bathtub, a gunshot wound to his chest, the shots taken from different angles. Not rare in their line of work. However, this particular scene wasn't one they would easily forget.

Tipping her head, Sara looked at her husband again who was frowning deeply and looking quite uncomfortable.

"Catherine, what is this?" he asked, a serious tone to his voice.

"Crime scene," she answered simply.

Grissom's head shook a bit as he took the mouse and started clicking back through the pictures, over and over, trying to take in every little detail.

"When?" he asked urgently.

"Day before yesterday," Catherine told him.

Sara swallowed as a very, very uneasy feeling washed through her.

"That even looks like the same place that.…"

"It is," Catherine cut in. "Same warehouse in Good Springs where we found Pete Walker in 2002."

Grissom's jaw worked, the fingers of his free hand as it sat in his lap, clenching in and out.

"And that's not everything," Catherine continued. "There's a tape, with a recording."

Head tipping back, Grissom's eyes worked in a circle. "Don't tell me…"

"Yeah," Catherine interrupted. "Your name is on it."

"What the hell is going on?" Sara said, the concern within her growing tenfold.

Catherine let out a long sigh. "I think we have a copycat. This isn't the only scene."

"What do you mean?" Grissom questioned, very evident worry encasing his words.

"I was on vacation last week but there was another case. Female. Found in the back of a white Chevy Van outside the Erotica Boutique."

Grissom's memory kicked into gear and he thought back. Some cases you just didn't forget.

"Kevin Greer," he whispered before trailing off.

Kevin Greer, also known as 'The blue paint' killer left a string of murders in his wake dating from 1987 up until he was caught in 2004. A total of 6 victims be felled the serial killer although argument was caused that his accomplice, John Mathers, bore some of the responsibility. Greer would target Caucasian female college students, applying blue paint to a railing near a water fountain. The girls, upon touching the paint would move to use the fountain in order to clean the paint off their hands and this would be where Greer would lie in wait to pounce on his unsuspecting victims. Ambushing them, he would bind their wrists and ankles with zip ties, put them into his van and drive away. Stopping outside the Erotic Boutique he would then sketch his victims as they begged for mercy before sexually assaulting and strangling them. Once his victims were dead, he would then dispose of them in black garbage bags around Las Vegas and sell his sketches to the owner of the boutique.

His downfall came when he mistook a male student for female due to the boy having long blonde hair and when Grissom was called in to examine larvae on campus grounds, thus began the beginning of the end for the serial killer.

Sara's eyes widened, a solid lump forming in her throat.

"Yes," Catherine agreed. "And both new victims were killed by the same person."

"How do you know that?" Sara questioned.

"Because the killer left an encrypted message inside both of their throats. Random letters and numbers on a piece of paper we haven't worked out yet but it links them both to the same perp."

At that moment, Sara wasn't sure what to do as she watched her husband pinch his forehead and tightly clench his eyes closed but one thing she did know was he couldn't let his stress levels get too high. That was not good for his condition and considering they'd gone almost a month without an episode, she really didn't want one now.

"Gil," she whispered, taking his hand. "Breathe and try and relax."

"Is everything okay?"

Hearing Catherine's concern, Sara let out a quiet breath. No one knew about Grissom's illness apart from the two of them.

As his eyes opened, Sara saw they were a little bloodshot but thankfully, he nodded and seemed okay.

"Um," Sara began. "Yeah. We're okay."

There was silence for a moment before Catherine spoke.

"Nobody knows these cases like you do, Gil," she said. "I think we could really use your help. And, whoever is responsible for this, is really trying to get your attention."

Sara blinked as realization hit. "I don't think I like this," she said quietly.

Grissom's eyebrows twitched. "What?"

Nipping on her lip, Sara picked up the phone. "Cath, can I call you back in a second?"

"Um, yeah. Sure. I'll be here."

"Okay."

Sara ended the call and gave her husband her undivided attention. The need to discuss this in private was a certainty.

"This person is trying to get your attention. If what Catherine is saying is right, they want you back in Vegas. And, if you go back, you're walking straight into the lions den." Grissom frowned, looking unsure as Sara continued. "You know we'd usually do anything to help, especially Catherine, but…"

"I don't think we have any choice," Grissom said quietly.

Feeling rather confused by her husband's statement, Sara shook her head. "What do you mean?"

"If this person is leaving a trail of clues, it means more people are going to die and they won't stop until the puzzle is completed." He rubbed his beard, thinking. "Maybe I can stop that happening. Maybe that's what they want…"

Inhaling deeply, Sara looked him right in the eye. "Are you really sure about this?"

Letting out a sigh, Grissom shrugged his shoulders. "Until I see the evidence properly, I won't say I'm sure about anything. And if things get too crazy, we can always leave."

"Gil Grissom's curiosity gets the better of him again, huh?" she said with a smile although she didn't believe he would just walk out on a case once he'd started it.

"Let's just hope curiosity doesn't kill the cat."

Her eyes widened. "Not funny."

Smirking, Grissom leaned close and dropped a kiss to her lips. "Just joking."

"You better be," she warned.

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After calling Catherine back to say they would help, the couple began packing. Sara wasn't entirely sure how much to take as she folded another of Grissom's shirts and dropped it into a case. After all, she had no idea how long they were going to be away. Moving into the bathroom, she grabbed their toothbrushes, her husband's medication and his shaving kit. They wouldn't need to take much for the bathroom as Catherine was playing host again with a hotel room and that place was always stocked to the brim with everything they could ever need.

As she moved back into the bedroom, Grissom came in, finishing a phone call.

"Thanks, Walter. I really appreciate it." He paused by the bed and nodded. "I will. Bye."

Dropping the items in her hand into the suitcase, Sara looked at him as he hung up.

"The university will put on hold our application until we get back," he told her.

"Great," she said with a smile while inside the relief hit. Getting a good opportunity for a job they really wanted to do was very few and far between. "That's very understanding of them."

Grissom nodded. "Well it seems finding people with our reputation and experience is a rarity, so they are prepared to work around us. So I'm told anyway."

Snorting, she reached out, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You're never any good at taking compliments are you?"

His lips twitched. "I take praise where praise is due but they haven't even met me yet."

Puckering her lips, her hand reached up to whisk fingers through his hair. "It's called reputation, babe. And you have an amazing one."

"Oh, yeah?"

Sara smiled as his hands pressed into her back and held her tighter against his body. "Yes." Leaning in, she kissed him. "And we should probably stop getting distracted or we'll never get to Vegas."

"Yeah," he agreed with a sigh. "Too bad."

Stepping back, Sara tapped him on the nose, happy he'd managed to relax a bit although she had no doubt that wouldn't last once they got to the lab.

"We'll make up for it, I promise."

A/N: The plot thickens… :D